23. Medicine and Spells

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ دَاء إِلا أنزل لَهُ دَوَاء» . رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

“God has not sent down a disease without sending down remedy for it.” Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ دَوَاءٌ فَإِذَا أُصِيبَ دَوَاءٌ الدَّاءَ بَرَأَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

“There is a medicine for every disease, and when the medicine is applied to the disease it is cured by God’s permission.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " الشِّفَاءُ فِي ثَلَاثٍ: فِي شَرْطَةِ مِحْجَمٍ أَوْ شَرْبَةِ عَسَلٍ أَوْ كَيَّةٍ بِنَارٍ وَأَنَا أَنْهَى أُمَّتِي عَنِ الْكَيِّ ". رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

“There is a remedy in three things: the incision of a cupping-glass, a drink of honey, or cauterization by fire, but I forbid my people to cauterize.” Bukhari transmitted.it.

وَعَن جابرٍ قَالَ: رُمِيَ أَبِي يَوْمَ الْأَحْزَابِ عَلَى أَكْحَلِهِ فَكَوَاهُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Jabir told that at the battle of the Confederates* Ubayy was struck by an arrow in the median vein of the arm and God’s messenger cauterized it. Muslim transmitted it. * i.e. the battle of the Trench, 5 A. H.

وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: رُمِيَ سَعْدُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ فِي أكحله فحمسه النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِيَدِهِ بِمِشْقَصٍ ثمَّ ورمت فحمسه الثَّانِيَة. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

He told that when Sa'id b. Mu'adh was shot in the median vein of his arm the Prophet with his own hand cauterized it with a broad arrow head. Afterwards it swelled up and he cauterized it a second time. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى أُبيِّ بن كَعْب طَبِيبا فَقَطَعَ مِنْهُ عِرْقًا ثُمَّ كَوَاهُ عَلَيْهِ. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

He told that God’s messenger sent to Ubayy b. Ka'b a physician who cut a vein of his and cauterized it. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَن أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «فِي الْحَبَّةِ السَّوْدَاءِ شِفَاءٌ مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ إِلَّا السَّامَ» . قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ: السَّامُ: الْمَوْتُ وَالْحَبَّةُ السَّوْدَاءُ: الشُّونِيزُ

“Nigella seed is a remedy for every disease but sam.” Ibn Shihab said sant is death and the nigella seed is shuniz.* (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Taj al-’arus says this is a Persian word which came to be used by Arabs. It indicates a seed of a species of nigella.

وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: أَخِي اسْتَطْلَقَ بَطْنُهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «اسقيه عسَلاً» فَسَقَاهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَقَالَ: سَقَيْتُهُ فَلَمْ يَزِدْهُ إِلَّا اسْتِطْلَاقًا فَقَالَ لَهُ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ. ثُمَّ جَاءَ الرَّابِعَةَ فَقَالَ: «اسْقِهِ عَسَلًا» . فَقَالَ: لَقَدْ سَقَيْتُهُ فَلَمْ يَزِدْهُ إِلَّا اسْتِطْلَاقًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «صَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَكَذَبَ بَطْنُ أَخِيكَ» . فَسَقَاهُ فَبَرَأَ

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that a man came to the Prophet and told him his brother's bowels were loose, so God’s messenger told him to give him honey to drink . He did so and then came and said, “I gave it him to drink but it has only made his bowels more loose.” This he said three times, and when he came a fourth time and was told to give him honey to drink he said, “I have done so, but it has only increased the looseness.” God's messenger replied, “God has spoken the truth and your brother’s bowels have lied.” He then gave him it to drink and he recovered. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ أَمْثَلَ مَا تَدَاوَيْتُمْ بِهِ الْحجامَة والقُسْط البحري»

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "The best medical treatments you apply are cupping and sea costus.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تُعَذِّبُوا صِبْيَانَكُمْ بِالْغَمْزِ مِنَ الْعُذْرَةِ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْقُسْطِ»

“Do not afflict your children by squeezing for a swelling in the uvula, but apply costus.” (Bukhari and Muslim .)

وَعَن أُمِّ قَيْسٍ قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: «على مَ تَدْغَرْنَ أَوْلَادَكُنَّ بِهَذَا الْعِلَاقِ؟ عَلَيْكُنَّ بِهَذَا الْعُودِ الْهِنْدِيِّ فَإِنَّ فِيهِ سَبْعَةَ أَشْفِيَةٍ مِنْهَا ذَاتُ الْجَنْبِ يُسْعَطُ مِنَ الْعُذْرَةِ وَيُلَدُّ مِنْ ذَاتِ الْجنب»

“Why do you compress the uvula in this way? Use this Indian aloes wood, for it contains seven types of remedy, among them being a remedy for pleurisy. It is applied through the nose for a swelling of the uvula and poured into the side of the mouth for pleurisy.” (Bukhari and Muslim )

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ وَرَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «الْحمى من فيج جَهَنَّم فَأَبْرِدُوهَا بِالْمَاءِ»

“Fever is due to the vehemence of the heat of hell, so cool it with water.” (Bukhari and Muslim.).

وَعَن أنسٍ قَالَ: رَخَّصَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الرُّقْيَةِ مِنَ الْعَيْنِ وَالْحُمَّةِ وَالنَّمْلَةِ. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Anas said God’s messenger gave permission to use an invocation for the evil eye, scorpion sting and small pustules. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَن عَائِشَة قَالَتْ: أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ نَسْتَرْقِيَ مِنَ الْعَيْنِ

The Prophet gave command that we should use an invocation against the evil eye. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَأَى فِي بَيْتِهَا جَارِيَةً فِي وجهِها سفعة يَعْنِي صُفْرَةً فَقَالَ: «اسْتَرْقُوا لَهَا فَإِنَّ بِهَا النَّظْرَةَ»

“Use an invocation for her, for she has been affected by the evil eye.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Saf’a is explained as a stroke from the devil, or the influence of the evil eye. It may be read suf’a which means blackness, or blackness tinged with red. Sufra normally means yellowness, but it can also mean blackness, and that may be the interpretation it should have here, in which case one should read suf'a.

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الرُّقَى فَجَاءَ آلُ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَزْمٍ فَقَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَتْ عِنْدَنَا رُقْيَةٌ نَرْقِي بِهَا مِنَ الْعَقْرَبِ وَأَنْتَ نَهَيْتَ عَنِ الرُّقَى فَعَرَضُوهَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ: «مَا أَرَى بِهَا بَأْسًا مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَنْفَعَ أَخَاهُ فَلْيَنْفَعْهُ» . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

Jabir told that God’s messenger prohibited invocations, and the family of ‘Amr b. Hazm came and said, “Messenger of God, we had an invocation proved efficacious which we applied for scorpion bite, but you have prohibited invocations.” They submitted it to him and he said, “I see no harm in it. If any of you is able to benefit his brother, let him do so.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَن عوفِ بن مَالك الْأَشْجَعِيّ قَالَ: كُنَّا نَرْقِي فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَقُلْنَا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تَرَى فِي ذَلِكَ؟ فَقَالَ: «اعْرِضُوا عَلَيَّ رُقَاكُمْ لَا بَأْسَ بِالرُّقَى مَا لم يكن فِيهِ شرك» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

In the pre-Islamic period we used to apply spells, and we asked God’s messenger how he looked upon that. He replied, “Submit your invocations to me. There is no harm in invocations so long as there is no polytheism in them.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «الْعَيْنُ حَقٌّ فَلَوْ كَانَ شَيْءٌ سَابَقَ الْقَدَرِ سَبَقَتْهُ الْعَيْنُ وَإِذَا اسْتُغْسِلْتُمْ فاغسِلوا» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

“The evil eye is genuine If anything could get ahead of the decree the evil eye would do so. And when you are asked to bathe do so.”* Muslim transmitted it. * An indication of the practice here intended will be found in the tradition of Abu Umama near the end of Section II of this chapter.

عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ شَرِيكٍ قَالَ: قَالُوا: يَا رَسُول الله أفنتداوى؟ قَالَ: «نعم يَا عبد اللَّهِ تَدَاوَوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَضَعْ دَاءً إِلَّا وَضَعَ لَهُ شِفَاءً غَيْرَ دَاءٍ وَاحِدٍ الْهَرم» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمد وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ وَأَبُو دَاوُد

Usama b. Sharik told that when God’s messenger was asked whether they should make use of medical treatment he replied, “Yes servants of God, make use of medical treatment, for God has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it, with the exception of one disease; viz., old age.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تُكْرِهُوا مَرْضَاكُمْ عَلَى الطَّعَامِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُطْعِمُهُمْ وَيَسْقِيهِمْ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيث غَرِيب

“Do not force your invalids to eat, for God most high gives them food and drink.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.